A post office was established at LaFayette at the very beginning of the settlement. A star route was established from Pittsburg to LaFayette and on to Coffeeville. Mail was delivered three times a week. There is a post office here at present with mail delivered from Pittsburg every day. One carrier brings the office mail, while another carrier from Pittsburg served an R.F.D. route in the settlement. There was a great iron ore boom at LaFayette in 1892 or 1893. This caused the town to build up. Excitement ran high. Many families moved in and many new homes were built. Other business enterprises were established, and the prospects for a real town were good. This boom caused the town to build up, influenced the social and business life of the community, but because of the money panic which came on about that time, and the lack of financial support, the iron ore enterprise failed to materialize. Churches The Missionary Baptists were the first to establish a congregation at LaFayette. They erected a two-story building, with a Masonic lodge in the upper story. A Methodist church was located here also. Schools The first school was taught in a log house. H. L. Sewell probably taught the first school. A Mr. Stephens also taught in the early days. Jack Sanders taught in the 1890’s. He had a large school during the boom days, as many new settlers moved in. In later years, the scholastic population decreased until it was impossible to maintain a school such as the community desired, so the entire school was transferred to Union Ridge. Doctors who have served LaFayette were Dr. C. F. Henderson, Dr. Bates, Drs. George and Will Gregory, Dr. Adkins and possibly others. There is no doctor at LaFayette at present. At one time there were three cotton gins located in different parts of the community, also a grist mill and a shingle mill. A newspaper, The LaFayette Iron Record, was printed here for a while, but is now discontinued. There are two stores and filling stations here at the present time. Mr. Adkins has been influential in the school and social life of the community, and Mrs. Willie Sewell has run the post office most of the time since 1914. LaFayette has rural electricity and telephone service. It has two stores, a black smith shop, a barber shop, the post office, a milk route and several local curing plants. The livestock industry is increasing. In the early days, there were saloons here, and for a while a fish house was operated here. All the residences in the town, except two, have been remodeled in the past few years. LaFayette has had no case in court in the past two years. The citizens say this is proof that it is a good place to live. Kelsey